Festival of Scripture & The Arts — ‘Song of All Songs’

Concordia University Chicago (CUC) will host a Festival of Scripture & The Arts on its campus in suburban River Forest, Ill., on June 20–21.

The weekend will include a set of lectures and presentations on the Song of Songs (Song of Solomon) by LCMS authors Rev. Dr. Andrew Steinmann, Dr. Paul Raabe and Rev. Dr. Joel C. Elowsky, who are published in the forthcoming book Interpreting the Song of Songs: Reception History from Qumran to the Modern Era (Baker Academic, September 2026).

Professional recitations of the Song of Songs by members of the theater department, poetry on themes of the Song of Songs by students and faculty of CUC, and commissioned artwork for the event will accompany the world premiere of music faculty Jonathan Stahlke’s “Song of All Songs,” a 45-minute work which takes the entire biblical text of the Song as its basis.

The work is composed for two choirs, orchestra and soloists, and will be performed by members of the All-Music Alumni Reunion, meeting that same weekend. The performance is free and open to the public. 

More details on tickets and scheduling can be found here, with reunion-specific information here. Contact jonathan.stahlke@cuchicago.edu with any questions.

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